Why ‘Saiyaara' is all the rage

India Today

a day ago

It took two twenty-something newcomers to cause ripples at the box-office. The Ajay Devgn-led Son of Sardaar 2 pushed its release date. And those awaiting releases in August know they have a force to reckon with in Saiyaara.So, what's about the intense musical romance that audiences cannot get enough of and are reacting to in a rather dramatic fashion? IV drip? Copious tears? All this despite a happy ending. Here are five reasons why director Mohit Suri and writer Sankalp Sadanah have crafter a winner.advertisementPLEASE DON'T STOP THE MUSICSaiyaara's soundtrack has one earworm after another, with the title track particularly hitting all the right loving notes. Rendered by Kashmir's indie artist Faheem Abdullah, this is Gen Z and Alpha's 'Tum Hi Ho' moment, a track which is likely to dominate the airwaves and streaming apps for a few years, like 'Kesariya' did.
It has even made it to the Top 10 of Spotify's Top 50 Global Chart, a tremendous achievement for a Hindi film song. That Abdullah's song stands out among those sung by Arijit Singh and Vishal Mishra tells you a lot about the overall strength of the album. 'Barbaad', 'Tum Ho Toh' and 'Humsafar' are also connecting with audiences.For those familiar with his playbook, this is Mohit Suri doing Mohit Suri things, backing his narrative with emotional songs whose lyrics heal many a broken heart and enable others to express themselves.GIMME LOVEYes, Saiyaara has that feeling of old wine being repackaged in new bottle. The tropes, the twists, the emotional beats are all too familiar. The Notebook, Aashiqui, Sadma are some of the films that have been referred to. But its stellar box-office showing is proof that audiences are craving for romance of the old-school kind. It's also why the re-release of Sanam Teri Kasam–of all the films–was a surprise hit this year.Just sitting in a cinema before the film begins and watching the trailers offers proof of how Saiyaara is so refreshing to behold. It's a simple, straightforward love story about two broken souls with plenty of baggage, unlike the action-heavy, loud dramas that have come to dominate the Hindi cinema landscape of late. There's no scale here to behold, just chemistry between two leads—their fraught journey to be happy together and a narrative that emphasises on unconditional, forever love. No wonder audiences are weeping over lines such as 'Duniya mera naam yaad rakh le lekin woh toh bhool rahi hai na' (The world may remember my name but she's forgetting it) and 'Dimaak bhool jaata hai lekin dil nahin bhoolta' (The head may forget but the heart never does).advertisementINNOVATIVE MARKETINGYash Raj Films (YRF) took a bold move with their marketing strategy wherein they guarded their two new finds from the preying eyes of social media, media and public alike, and continue to do so. That there's so little out there on who Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda are in real life has only piqued the curiosity of the audiences to go to the cinemas to see the two young leads. It reflects in the impressive box-office collections, with Saiyaara expected to surpass the Rs 300 crore mark in the least.In the age of social media, where overexposure is a genuine concern, robbing actors of their sense of mystique, Panday and Padda are anomalies in how their pre-release footprint on the apps is limited. How this impacts the promotional strategies of films from here on remains to be seen, but for a film with newcomers, it clearly has paid rich dividends for YRF.NEW TALENT ON THE BLOCKThe factors above matter, but foremost is the undeniable screen presence of the twenty-something youngsters and their ability to hold and command a scene. It's been a while since Bollywood has had newcomers who, in their very first film, have made a solid case that they have the thespian chops to shine on. Panday's Krish Kapoor has the acceptable boy-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks vibe while Padda's Vaani has the angelic, vulnerable persona.advertisementBoth get ample moments to shine, with Panday particularly showing his range in the second half as he grapples with the devastating condition of his partner. It's a given that they will be spoiled for choice, but after making the first big impression, the challenge lies in living up to the lofty expectations in the second.RETURN TO THE ROOTSFor YRF, the success of Saiyaara means the banner coming back to the genre that first gave it flight. Long before Anurag Basu, Imtiaz Ali and Mohit Suri, there was Yash Chopra, the filmmaker who presented love in different layers and hues, some even challenging conventions and pushing the envelope on public notions of love (see Silsila and Lamhe).Aditya Chopra, his son, carried forward the legacy, delivering a blockbuster in his very first film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge. All his remaining films have been in the genre—Mohabbatein, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Befikre. So to see the studio, which of late has made the Spy Universe its mainstay, garner success with a love story will hopefully give impetus to others to embrace romance again.advertisementSubscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsTrending Reel